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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Lady ‘Dog golfers second, ‘Dogs third at Roswell Alien 8

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(Photo Copyright Jennifer Coats - Jennifer Coats Photography / Do Not Reprint or Re-post Without Permission)
(Photo Copyright Jennifer Coats – Jennifer Coats Photography / Do Not Reprint or Re-post Without Permission)

One tournament, one qualifying leg. A golf team can’t ask for a much better start than that.

The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs kicked off their 2016 campaigns Thursday with the Roswell Alien 8 at the NMMI Golf Course, with both squads earning their first of the three legs necessary to qualify for the Class 5A State Tournament.

Lady ‘Dog sophomore Josey Jackson and eighth-grader Taysea Powell, and Bulldog senior Chaz Matthews all earned individual legs, as well, in an overall solid opener for the program.

“I’m real proud of the way the girls played,” coach Dusty Bean said Saturday. “Josey Jackson led the team and showed what can be done on that golf course, and our eighth-grader, Taysea Powell, stepped up and gave us a good score we needed.”

“I thought the boys did a great job,” said coach Paul Kirkwood. “Chaz Matthews and Jake Craft are king of leading the pack right now for us, but we expect a lot of other kids to be stepping up also and really contributing, and we’re really excited about how things are going.”

The Lady Bulldogs finished second overall in the tournament with a team 373, well under the qualifying mark of 399 and just seven shots over Goddard (366).

Jackson’s round of 79 earned her third place individually behind Goddard’s Sara Cain (78) and Portales’ Bailey Rowley (76).

Powell tied for 10th with a 93, followed by Teagan Archer (100), Bri’LeAnn Ybarra (101) and Sydni Salmon (110).

“Teagan played one of the best back nines she’s ever played,” Bean said. “She fought hard after the front nine to get back to shooting a 100, and Bri’LeAnn stepped up as No. 5 to give us a good score.”

Aiding the Bulldogs in their third-place overall finish was Matthews with a 75, which earned him a tie for third individually behind NMMI’s Sergio Amieiro (73) and Pong Thangyai (72).

Jake Craft and Wesley Davis both tied for 12th with rounds of 81, followed by Parker Sanders (86) and Giovanni Huitron (89).

“Jake struggled for a couple of holes but came back real steady, and Wesley Davis was a nice surprise for us,” Kirkwood said. “He’s a sophomore and is really coming on strong and playing well.”

The Artesia boys were one shot over second-place Carlsbad (322). Hobbs won the tournament with a 315.

The Bulldogs are anchored this year by two veteran seniors: Matthews and Caleb Morton.

“Those are the first two we brought up as eighth-graders, and they took third at state that year,” Kirkwood said. “I know as seniors now, they’re not going to be satisfied with a third-place finish. They’re going to work hard and do everything they can to finish higher and represent Artesia like all Artesia sports.”

Kirkwood says this year’s ‘Dogs are on pace for a shot at the blue trophy with their experience bolstered by young talent.

“I definitely think we could finish in the top three at state and, of course, the goal is to win state, and I think that’s a very, very achievable goal,” said the coach. “The guys know that, and they’ve been working hard at it.

“This is the first group from when we started pulling up eighth-graders, and they’re definitely starting to see the fruits of their labor for all of those years. Then our younger guys, like Parker Sanders and Giovanni Huitron, are also really helping out.”

The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, are a young squad this year with no seniors on the roster, but the underclassmen have impressed early in their careers.

“I’m really looking forward to district play,” Bean said. “Our district tournament isn’t till the beginning of May, so right now we’re just trying to get qualified for state, but I think we have a team that’s going to contend for if not win a district title.

“This is also a team that I think can contend for a state championship, and I’m looking forward to watching these girls develop as people and as players.”

Brienne Green
Daily Press Editor

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